June 17th: Self-Love
A loving depiction of cultural differences, the best teen comedy on the market, and Pixar's greatest achievement. Plus, some book-club-television, and a Trojan Horse of an indie song.
Happy Friday! I hope everything is going well for all of you - things have been very busy for me since starting work, but I’m loving the store, and it feels great to be back in a routine again. Thank you to Christian and Carrie and all my friends who have come said hello so far, and if you haven’t, come tomorrow! Or whenever fits your busy schedules. It’s a beautiful space and shopping for books is always a great way to hide from those pesky deadlines or whatever else ails you. I’ve got another eclectic bunch of movies for you this week, so let’s dive right into it!
The Movies:
Our local farmstand made its triumphant return to Crown Heights this week, which reminded me of Minari (Showtime), a gorgeous, heart-wrenching depiction of an immigrant family adjusting to American culture while dealing with the struggles of small-scale family farming. It’s a film that wears its heart on its sleeve - Director Lee Isaac Chung grew up in Arkansas, and the empathy and honesty that he brings to the film shines through the screen. The cast is phenomenal across the board, with Youn Yuh-Jung winning an Oscar for her performance as Mountain-Dew-obsessed grandma Soonja, newcomer Alan S. Kim winning everyone’s damn hearts, and memorable side characters popping in and out throughout the film. Through arguments and quotidian obstacles big and small, the Yi family endures, coming through for each other when they need to. It’s a beautiful film, and the kind of loving, carefully made production that deserves to be rewarded.
Watch if you’re in the mood for: Lifelike filmmaking, beautiful acting, very messy crying.
Though I didn’t do a graduation week post, if I had, Booksmart (Hulu) would have been at the top of my list. The high-school-graduation genre of coming-of-age movies contains a bevy of amazing comedies, like Superbad or Dazed and Confused, but Booksmart slots right up there with the best of them. It’s outrageously funny, but never at the expense of its characters - unlike many other movies of the genre, Booksmart revolves around the idea that we assume the worst of our classmates, dismantling stereotypes by presenting each and every character, from the jocks to the nerds to the stoners, as fleshed-out human beings. And what a murderers row of characters it is: from certified hypebeast Jared (played with relish by Skyler Gisondo) to scene-stealing Principal Jordan (the always excellent Jason Sudeikis), there’s always someone demanding your attention. It’s a clever, relentlessly entertaining update to the high-school-graduation canon, reinventing the formula with impeccably costumed flair.
Watch if you’re in the mood for: Self-love, belly laughs, matching coveralls.
Pixar are inarguably the kings of computer animation, and on the release of Lightyear, I thought it appropriate to look back on what remains their weirdest, most interesting, and greatest achievement yet: Wall-E (Disney+). A frighteningly prescient depiction of an earth destroyed by rampant consumerism and greed, Wall-E succeeds on all fronts, as an ecological parable, a critique of commercialization, and even as a Chaplin-esque rom-com. From its stunning, dialogue-free opening to the last hopeful message of rebirth, Wall-E is captivating, funny, emotional, and thought-provoking. It’s a great example of Pixar’s ability to capture the profound through simplicity, and of their willingness to push boundaries while respecting their target audience. There hasn’t been a movie like it since, animated or otherwise.
Watch if you’re in the mood for: Visual ingenuity, undeniable cuteness, saving the world through pizza plants.
The Binge:
Though it’s a proper television show, with two seasons on the air and one more on the way this fall, Dead to Me (Netflix) is so relentlessly paced that it feels like a miniseries. It’s a murder mystery wrapped in a dark comedy that never forgets to have fun, throwing soap-opera-like twists in nearly every episode. In other hands, it would feel overwhelming, but the remarkable chemistry between leads Linda Cardellini and Christina Applegate proves a grounding force, keeping the emotional heart of the story intact even as it careens from plot point to plot point with reckless abandon. It’s the TV equivalent of the perfect book-club book: a little sexy, a little thrilling, but always extremely fun.
Watch if you’re in the mood for: Bleak humor, twists on twists, bad casserole.
The Tune:
Few artists enjoyed as successful a lockdown as Phoebe Bridgers, whose winning blend of cynical lyricism and atmospheric production found a home with fans across the country in search of catharsis. Her second album, Punisher, launched her from indie darling to genuine mainstream success, and when I saw her play last night in Queens, it felt like a homecoming, with a full stadium of fans screaming every single word back at her. The album (and the concert) closes with “I Know the End”, an absolute behemoth of a song that spans multiple genres and levels of intensity across its near six-minute runtime. It’s a songwriting achievement, showcasing her intimate, vulnerable lyricism before morphing into a massive arena-metal banger. I’m not ashamed to admit that I cried the first time I heard this song, and last night, surrounded by thousands of amped-up teenagers, I screamed and screamed with them until I had nothing left. It’s a song to lose yourself in, an apocalyptic epic announcing Bridgers as a genre-defying force to be reckoned with. Listen to the whole album, if you get a chance, but if not, this song tells a story large enough to fill any other album on its own.
See you next week!
Love,
Nick